North Korean troops will become 'cannon fodder' if they aid Russia in Ukraine, Pentagon says (www.businessinsider.com)
North Korean soldiers sent to aid Russia in Ukraine would be “cannon fodder,” the Pentagon said....
Housing crisis: The hottest political issue European politicians aren’t talking about (www.politico.eu)
The Continent’s housing crisis has gone from being a slow burn to a four-alarm fire — but some countries are handling it better than others....
Chinese coast guard ram and puncture Philippine military boats in disputed shoal (apnews.com)
French conservatives move toward far-right alliance (www.dw.com)
The leader of France’s Republicans party has said he would be open to an alliance with Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally in snap French elections. Such an alliance would break a decades-old taboo....
South Korea fires warning shots after North Korea soldiers briefly cross border - CNA (www.channelnewsasia.com)
Japan’s births just fell to a new record low. Tokyo hopes a dating app can turn that around (www.cnn.com)
Japan’s fertility rate, which has seen a precipitous fall for many years, has reached another record low as the government ramps up efforts to encourage young people to get married and start families — even launching its own dating app....
Moscow warns West of escalation after Ukraine told it can hit Russia (www.bbc.com)
Russia has accused Nato and the US of “provoking a new level of tension” after the US and Germany became the latest allies to let Ukraine’s military to use Western-supplied weapons to strike targets inside Russia....
Amal Clooney, a key figure in the request for Netanyahu’s arrest by the International Criminal Court (english.elpais.com)
High levels of weedkiller (glyphosate/e.g. Roundup) found in more than half of sperm samples, study finds (www.theguardian.com)
The levels (of glyphosate that the) French researchers found in sperm were four times higher than in the men’s blood...
More than 200 people with diabetes injured after software issue drained insulin pump batteries | CNN (edition.cnn.com)
More than 200 people with diabetes have been injured when their insulin pumps shut down unexpectedly due to a problem with a connected mobile app, the US Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday.
Blinken urges Hamas to accept ‘extraordinarily generous’ ceasefire deal (www.washingtonexaminer.com)
Canada's British Columbia makes U-turn over hard drugs (www.dw.com)
Last year, a pilot program was launched in a Canadian province allowing adults to carry up to 2.5 grams of hard drugs for personal use. Soaring drug use in public spaces has raised concerns over public safety....
Senate passes $95 billion package sending aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan after months of delay (www.cnn.com)
The Senate on Tuesday passed a long-delayed $95 billion package with wide bipartisan support after both sides of Capitol Hill have struggled for months to send aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan....
Iran Issues Unprecedented Nuclear Threat in Duel With Israel (www.thedailybeast.com)
Ukraine's military chief warns of 'significantly' worsening battlefield situation in the east | AP News (apnews.com)
Police spammed with complaints by neo-Nazis under new Scottish hate crime law (www.theguardian.com)
First minister calls for end to vexatious reports after far-right agitators attempt to ‘overwhelm’ official systems...
US reportedly considering plea deal offer for Julian Assange (www.theguardian.com)
Hamas could be expelled from Qatar if deal not reached - WSJ report (www.jpost.com)
Mass grave with 1,000 skeletons found in Germany (www.cnn.com)
A ship earlier hit by Yemen's Houthi rebels sinks in the Red Sea, the first vessel lost in conflict (apnews.com)
US tells allies Russia could launch space nuke this year: NYT (thehill.com)
The U.S. informed its NATO and Asian allies that Russia could deploy a nuclear weapon into space this year after details of American intelligence assessments of its ambitions circulated last week, according to The New York Times....
Irish women’s basketball team refused to shake hands with Israel (www.theguardian.com)
TheGuardian.com
Hamas rejects Israel’s offer of two-month pause in Gaza fighting — Egyptian official (www.timesofisrael.com)
A senior Egyptian who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity says terror group Hamas has rejected Israel’s proposal for a two-month ceasefire in which Hamas would release Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian security prisoners....
Ukraine’s average soldier is 43. How can they keep Putin at bay? (www.thetimes.co.uk)
Archived link:...
Africa's Catholic hierarchy refuses same-sex blessings, says such unions are contrary to God's will (apnews.com)
In the greatest rebuke yet to Pope Francis, the Catholic bishops of Africa and Madagascar issued a unified statement Thursday refusing to follow his declaration allowing priests to offer blessings to same-sex couples and asserting that such unions are “contrary to the will of God.”...
